The Collins household fell into complete silence after the encounter at the airport. Neither Lain nor Martha spoke a single word throughout the drive home. Only after they stepped into the living room did Martha finally set her purse aside and take a seat.
Her eyes never left Lain.
They were calm...
Yet impossibly sharp.
"You have quite a lot to explain, Lain."
Her voice was cold, but never loud.
"I hope you're able to give me a proper explanation."
Lain shrugged it off before making himself comfortable. A maid arrived with a fresh cup of tea, quietly placing it on the table before excusing herself. He sat across from Martha and let out a slow breath.
"Nothing happened, Mom."
He reached for the teacup.
"It was only business."
Martha studied him in silence. She had raised him. She knew that look better than anyone.
"Lain..."
Her voice softened, but the worry behind it was unmistakable.
"Don't lie to comfort me."
A brief silence settled between them.
"That man is anything but good."
She lowered her gaze to the untouched tea.
"He may seem different now..."
"But that doesn't erase what he did to us."
Those words landed heavily on Lain's chest. He leaned back against the sofa, exhaustion creeping across his face. He knew she wasn't wrong.
No matter how many times Sebastian visited...
The past remained exactly where it was.
Martha let out a quiet sigh.
"The Kozcivrie family has always brought chaos wherever they go."
Her fingers tightened around the teacup.
"I still can't forgive what they took from us."
Lain straightened himself before his eyes drifted to his mother's upper arm.
The burn scar.
It had long since healed, yet the mark remained. A silent reminder of the truth she had carried for years.
Martha noticed where he was looking. Without a word, she gently pulled her sleeve down, covering the scar before setting her teacup aside and rising from her seat.
"Lain..."
She faced him with the same calm expression.
"I raised you to become a better man."
A brief silence followed.
"But don't let kindness fool you into believing that everything deserves forgiveness."
Her gaze lowered for the first time.
"Not after what he did to our family..."
She stopped.
The words caught in her throat.
"And..."
Silence.
She closed her eyes for a moment before shaking her head.
"Never mind."
A faint smile appeared, though it carried no warmth.
"You've been working hard."
"Go and get some rest."
Without waiting for a reply, Martha quietly left the living room.
Lain remained where he was.
He slowly leaned back against the sofa, his thoughts refusing to settle.
Everything that had happened...
Every scar...
Every painful memory...
All of it traced back to one man.
Sebastian.
Perhaps...
He had never been meant to grow close to him in the first place.
Lain let out a slow breath before making his way upstairs to his room. From across the hallway, Martha watched him disappear behind the door. A trace of guilt crossed her face.
Perhaps...
She had never been able to give him the life he truly deserved.
As the day slowly faded into evening, the tension between them quietly settled. Neither of them brought up the earlier conversation again, choosing instead to spend the rest of the afternoon together as they normally would.
The silence was eventually broken by the ringing of Lain's phone. He glanced at the screen before answering.
His secretary from the resort.
"Mr. Collins, an investor has just sent over the proposal. We'd appreciate it if you could review it as soon as possible."
"I'll be there shortly."
Lain ended the call.
Martha gave him a small nod.
"I suppose work never really ends."
A faint smile appeared on Lain's face.
"I'll be back before dinner."
He leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek before slipping on his jacket.
Moments later, the roar of his motorcycle echoed through the estate as he disappeared beyond the gates.
Martha remained where she stood, watching until he was completely out of sight. Only then did the warmth leave her expression. She quietly made her way toward her study.
Stacks of documents covered the desk. Most of them were reports concerning Lain's resort. Only one file stood apart from the rest.
A black folder.
Marked simply...
Kozcivrie.
Martha picked it up and slowly opened it. Inside were several photographs. One of them showed Sebastian and Lain standing together at Heathrow Airport. She stared at it for a long moment before carrying the photograph onto the balcony.
Without hesitation...
She held it over the flame of a lighter.
The edges slowly curled as the fire consumed it.
"Sebastian Kozcivrie..."
Her voice was calm.
Yet every word carried years of resentment.
"You took everything from me once."
She watched the photograph burn between her fingers.
"And now..."
"You want to take what's no longer yours."
The last corner turned to ash.
Martha opened her hand.
The burnt remains drifted away with the evening wind.
"How shameless."
At the same time, Lain made his way back to the resort.
As soon as he arrived, his secretary was already waiting outside the entrance, a folder of documents tucked neatly under his arm.
"These just arrived a few minutes ago, sir."
Lain accepted the file before heading straight to his office.
His secretary followed close behind.
"The documents were sent from France. According to the sender, they're interested in investing in the resort."
Lain slowed his steps ever so slightly.
"France?"
He couldn't remember ever attracting the attention of an overseas investor, let alone one from another influential family. Inside his office, he quietly flipped through the proposal.
Everything appeared legitimate.
The financial reports.
The investment plan.
Even the projected expansion.
Nothing seemed out of place.
Until the final page.
A name.
A phone number.
Lain closed the folder and looked toward his secretary.
"That'll be all."
The secretary bowed before quietly leaving the room.
Silence settled over the office.
Lain picked up his phone and dialed the number.
The line rang only a few times.
Then...
A woman's voice answered.
"I didn't expect you to call this quickly."
Her tone carried a quiet confidence.
"I assume you've already read my proposal."
Lain remained composed.
"Before we discuss business..."
He leaned back in his chair.
"I believe an introduction would be appropriate."
A soft chuckle came from the other end of the line.
After a brief pause, her voice became noticeably more professional.
"My apologies."
"My name is Celine."
Another pause.
"I'm representing the El Mori family."
"I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of us."
"But I'm hoping that changes today."
She allowed a moment of silence before finishing.
"I'd like to discuss a partnership with you..."
"...Mr. Lain Collins."
Lain's expression remained unchanged.
Yet...
His grip around the phone tightened ever so slightly.